Modern Hearts
by Othelie
Summary: Because of his rare blue eyes, Naruto leads a sheltered life as issued by the government. When he meets a cold stranger, he knows it will lead nowhere good. Yet sometimes, resistance is futile. But what is the cost of abiding an irrational heart? AU/yaoi
1. Chapter 1

**Modern hearts**

**Chapter one - society futuristica**

**Summary -** Being one of few humans left with blue eyes and blond hair, Naruto leads a safe but sheltered life. When he is swept away by a rich and mean stranger, he knows it can only mean trouble, but sometimes, fighting it is futile. But how much is he willing to risk for the sake of his irrational heart?

**_Narusasunaru (See, I made you a sammich!)_**

_**Mature content - Cursing, violence, man-on-man sexytime and everything else we're in it for. (NB! No good times in this chappie though. You have been warned, so don't hate.)**_

**_Alternate universe, with a dash of sci-fi_**

_**Extremely long but necessary author's notes -** This is the story of two men, living in a modern world, with very modern lives, struggling through ageless problems. My pet name for this is Futuristica, because it sounds awesome, but that isn't a very good title, so instead you have the one I just explained. I've been very caught up with writing this lately, which is good, because I've been going through an absolutely horrible writer's block. Ugh. I am extremely sorry about Nightly Encounters, but I've just been stuck, and I want to continue it properly, not just half assed. So instead I give you this. It's everything I eventually want my sci-fi novel to be, except that it's less extensively planned out, which is wonderfully relaxing. Because of this, I understand that some of the futuristic aspects of it might be hard to get. I tried to make it as unobtrusive as possible, as to not let my world of tomorrow get in the way of your delicious Sasunaru (or is it Narusasu this time around? I'm not sure), but if there is anything that needs more explaining, just ask and I'll tell, and I'll try to do better next time. The reason I posted this story was because I want your feedback. I can't decide whether this is meant to be a oneshot (with an over-the-top backstory), or a multichapter story. Because I so desperately need your opinions, there might be a few mistakes in this. I thought deciding where this was going was more important. So let me know how you feel about it! I'll appreciate it immensely. (End of extremely long (but for once necessary!) rant. Short version = tell me if you think this is a oneshot or multichapter!)_

* * *

><p><strong>"I see your health stats are perfect, as usual." The warden threw him a quick grin, as if Naruto's unnaturally good health was some inside joke they shared. "The values on your nourishment chart is a nightmare, of course, we have talked about all that junk food being bad for you, you know. Watch out or I'll have to put you on a diet. Everything else looking good..." She scrolled down the screen in front of her absently, mentally checking off each line as she skimmed through the text. "Let's see... Ah, just what I was looking for. It says here that you've been showing symptoms of lethargy lately. Let's talk about that." She turned to him with the expectant air of someone who would accept no nonsense.<strong>

Naruto scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I don't know, old lady. I haven't been particularly off or anything, just tired I guess."

"And why are you feeling tired? It says here you've been sleeping quite regularly. No demanding physical labour either, apart from your recreational activities and fitness program."

"Just, you know, worn down I guess. Mentally. There's no problem, really."

"You've never had any problem whatsoever with mental sickness or erratic behaviour before, so I am a bit reluctant to put you down for a psych consult." She looked up at him, chewing at her lip thoughtfully.

"Oh please don't. There's really nothing wrong! I'm just bored, I guess." Naruto said with a pained look, folding his hands on the desk in front of her in a begging fashion.

"Well, I think for now, maybe well just sign you up for some additional recreational time? But if anything is wrong you must come see me immediately. We are here to help you with your problems after all. If something is amiss, we'll work it out together." She underlined her last sentence by putting a hand on top of Naruto's folded ones, squeezing lightly. Naruto very nearly pulled away from her touch. She was a nice warden and all, and he was pretty certain she genuinely cared about and believed in her work, but there was just something about the official choice in words that revolted him deeply.

"Now, you may leave, but when things get rough, I just want you to remember that you, young man, are supporting the continued diversity of the human gene pool. I hope you are aware of that fact. You may be proud of yourself and the work you are doing for your community."

Naruto smiled to the woman as he left her office, but sighed inwardly. Empty words spoken too many times. Work? Pride? He was only worth the color of his eyes and hair. No doubt, the authorities in charge of the cultivation and procreation of the human breed, as they so nicely put it - considered him a lucky find with the rare genes and the added bonus of excellent physicality, not to mention that he was actually fertile, which meant breeding of genes, and not just preservation. Of course, he would have been worth even more as a woman. Sterility was a common problem with both genders, but you really only noticed it very much when it came to the women. The fertile ones wore it almost like a badge of honour. Status, wealth and social standing could all be bought for the price of one fertile body. He never could get used to the coldness of it though. As if they were some sort of product, handled with care when needed, but bought and sold at convenience all the same.

The additional recreational time slips was a bright side to things though. They didn't really monitor what you spent them on as long as you logged some sort of activity. A very easy system to cheat. And every opportunity to leave the academy for a little while was something to be relished. The other people her found him strange because he was always trying to get away, but many of them had grown up here, or in equally boring middle class household. Naruto's body longed for the streets, just as much as he had longed to get off them all those years ago.

He quickly ran to his room to grab his jacket before sprinting down the stairs and out through the main hall. The arcade he was going to was located in one of the more or less dodgy parts of town, and required a short train ride. Like many times before, he wished he had a car or a cycle, but the chances of him ever affording something like that were slim. Anyway, it didn't really matter. The authorities would probably log the fact that he was heading out of the acceptable areas when he beeped his wristband for the train fee, but write it down as homesickness or something like that. That was the excuse he always gave, at least. He highly doubted they cared much as long as he kept within the rules.

* * *

><p>Upon entering the dimly lit arcade, he blipped his wristband to pay the small entrance fee, making sure it went on his private account, not the government issued one. He had burned himself on that one before and always made sure to put whatever money he could get his hands on in the private account, so they couldn't keep track of it as easily. The he strode towards the cages with a determined fire in his eyes. He had gone to the arcades for years now, drawn in by the powerful computers and awesome games his weak stationary couldn't even dream of competing with. After a few years though, he had found his one true love. The cages were a bit different from the other arcade machines, because of the demanding physical nature of the game, and also because it required such close interaction with another player. He had once been told it resembled the sport once known as boxing or wrestling, were two people would actually get into the cage and fight each other in front of an audience. It seemed exciting, but foolish and painful all the same. Of course, in the cages, there was no actual interaction. Instead, each player was enclosed in their own cages, while their virtual avatars fought in the bigger middle cage, and an audience watched from the sidelines. The players actual movements were registered by censors, before being replayed by the avatars, with a suitable level of exaggeration, of course. Naruto loved the thrill of it, the feeling of actually fighting with his whole body, and the deeply competitive satisfaction of actually facing a real opponent. He even loved watching other people's fights, betting on who would win with the rest of the audience. Not to mention that he was pretty great at it, and Naruto was no enemy of getting applauded for being awesome. This particular arcade, while grubby and slightly dodgy, was one of the best places for the cages, and Naruto had even won quite a bit of money here over the years. If he hadn't been picked up by the genetics program, he would probably have made a career out of it. Using his body to fight like this was his passion. It just seemed to answer to some primitive call deep within him<p>

"Coming to fight, I hope?" Naruto was interrupted in his thoughts as the manager walked up to him with a huge smirk across his face. The blonde terror was a very unpredictable fighter, and had become quite popular. If he was fighting, he might draw in some audience on an otherwise slow day.

"Need to vent some steam! You know how it is." Naruto answered with a grin. "You got any free cages for me?"

"Yup. Actually, you're in luck. The one the far right is being occupied by a single player right now."

Naruto headed in the right direction, ducking into the small cage before tapping the button that signaled to the other player that he would like to initiate two-player. It took several minutes for his opponent to answer, and Naruto was just about to leave when he was finally accepted into the game.

"Took you long enough, didn't it?" He couldn't help but grunt as he inserted his player card, and initiated the game.

"I had a game to finish. Any idiot should see that." The voice that answered him was both coolly detached and cocky, a mixture so wildly arrogant it immediately set Naruto's teeth on edge.

"Well, I'm sorry I interrupted your private me-time. I hope you can handle a real opponent as well." Naruto replied. This was so on!

All he got in reply was some kind of affirmative snorting sound. The amount of superiority his opponent managed to put in a simple sound was staggering, and made Naruto very glad that he would be allowed to punch this person very soon.

His opponent had chosen a very simple avatar, with straight-laced features and black hair, wearing some kind of traditional oriental garb. The moment their match had loaded, Naruto sprang into action, jump-kicking the smug bastard's avatar right across the cage. He pumped his fist in victory, expecting the finishing blows to be a piece of cake after such a strong opening. He was quickly distracted though, when his character got knocked of his feet by a swift succession of combos. Naruto, enraged by the unsuspected counterattack, sprang to his feet and delivered several consecutive blows to his enemy's jaw, before quickly diving back into a protective stance.

"You gonna hide behind a defensive stance? Pathetic." His opponent taunted, and Naruto found himself drawn in despite knowing better. The moment he lost his cool, the other player's avatar was on him again, punching him deep into the ground. His life bar was very nearly depleted by then, and Naruto figured he would only survive about one last offensive. Keeping low to avoid getting swept of his feet again, Naruto grabbed his opponent in a wrestling grip, throwing him high into the air. With a few handmovements, Naruto activated his special attack, and sprang up to clash with his opponent midair.

"Rasengan!" His character shouted, as their avatars disappeared in an explosion of blue light.

Panting with the effort, Naruto realised with a start that he had won. "Fuck yes! I am the motherfucking champ! Who's the best?"

He was interrupted in his victory dance by a dry voice in his ear. "Let me know when you're finished embarrassing yourself, idiot."

"Gee, I don't know, maybe when you'll stop being such a sore loser?" He replied teasingly, clearly hearing the dissatisfied tone in his opponent's voice.

"I wasn't aware we were going to pull out the big guns. I usually hold back on the special moves, - don't want to make the competition too easy." The voice sauntered on lightly.

"Uhu, and you just lost to be polite too? We didn't have any rules against special attacks. You're just being an asshole about losing. I was clearly the superior player here."

"Want to prove that with a rematch, loser? All bets off this time?"

"You're on! Best of three."

* * *

><p>Eighteen matches later, - and an equal number of victories to each - found Naruto panting and sweating profusely, but grinning like a wild man.<p>

"You still there?"

"Hn. Tired yet?" It was hard to decipher because of the scarcity of words, but his opponent sounded pretty exhausted.

"Pfft. You?" Naruto answered noncommittally, dead tired, but willing to go on if it meant he didn't have to admit it.

"Bored, more like it."

"Hah, I find that hard to believe. Let's call it quits though, I'm all out of tokens." This was probably as close as they would get to a truce, and Naruto was honestly quite curious to meet this mystery opponent. It was probably some obscure nerd, like most of the pros, but they usually went with the busty female avatars.

He quickly ducked out of the small gamers booth, and could see a group of people sighing in disappointment because the match was over. The next time he would have to place a bet or something, to earn back those tokens.

When he walked around the rather large computer system, he found the other booth deserted. He cursed beneath his breath. Typical gamer bastard, not sociable at all. He ran for the entrance, just as another figure was leaving the establishment.

"Hey," he shouted to slow the other person down as they reached the street. He couldn't know if this was the guy, but it was worth a shot.

The person who turned around was tall and thin, but very clearly a grown man. His clothes were all black, but the only garment he could really make out was the clean cut slightly long jacket on top. It looked fancy, but Naruto was horrible when it came to style and fashion, so he really couldn't tell. As with the rest of the figure, he had black hair, ruffled in the back but slightly longer and straight in the front, giving it a more conservative look. He looked to be very pale, making his sharp features stand out starkly, especially the contrasting black eyes and brows. He was clearly very young, but his expression was dark and disdainful beyond his years. Naruto registered all of this in a matter of seconds, but the only thing that really stood out in his mind was the fact that this man was truly, very pretty. Not feminine like the male prostitutes walking the streets at night in this part of town, but like a movie star, or a character from one of the pieces of art they were always shown in reference to the past centuries.

"You're the guy from the game, aren't you? You look like your character." It explained the conservatively boring look of his avatar, even though it hardly did this person justice.

"Why are you talking to me?" The condescending voice from the game spoke in low tones, but his voice carried all the same. It was different in real life, with more depth to it. A charismatic voice, used to giving orders.

"I just wanted to size up my competition. It's only polite after all those hours in the cages." Naruto walked forward warily, slightly nervous, but not put out by the offensive tone of the other. He was used to rude people, he had dealt with them all the time in his childhood. He wanted to fight this guy again, and he wouldn't leave before he secured a promise. As he walked from the dim inventory of the arcade into the relatively bright lights of the street, he could see the stranger's eyes light up slightly in curiousity. He usually received some sort of reaction to his looks, be it skepticism or admiration. In any case, it sparked interest.

Blond hair was very normal among the more eye catching fashion styles on the streets. It was considered slightly delinquent, but not at all unusual. Naruto's particular warm honeyed tone was less common though. The naturalistic hue had gone out of fashion as the natural hair color disappeared. If everyone knew it was fake anyway, why bother being boring about it. Platina was the far more popular choice. Blue eyes was very nearly extinct, but once again, reproduced frequently, either through lenses or eyedye. They had never really managed to reproduce the tone of Naruto's eyes though. That waterlike, almost transparent bright blue color was hard to achieve when the natural color was darker. That was one of the things they were using his genes for, Naruto knew. Genetic adjustment surgery. They could do it on fetuses, but cosmetic genetics was still a far from perfect art. When you matched both these rare traits with Naruto's dark skin, you got a pretty spectacular results. It was really only labour outside the city limits that gave you suntanned skin, but Naruto could never help it, his skin just seemed to be permanently dark. The effect was easily achievable with cosmetics, but had gone out of fashion a long time ago. No one wanted it to look like they had a less desirable profession, after all. Add the scars that covered his face to everything else, looking for all the world like some statement tattoo, and he was often mistaken for some low moral slummy delinquent by strangers. Others seemed to sense that it was natural instinctively, which often resulted in rather awkward prepositions. The whole deal made walking around in bad parts of town pretty uncomfortable. Naruto always seemed to come back though. He had grown up in the seedy parts of town, and never got very comfortable with the stark cleanliness of upper city.

When it became clear the other man was not going to answer him, Naruto cleared his throat. "I was hoping that I would get to meet you again. I haven't seen you here before, but I would really like to play against you again sometime." The fact that the other man had not walked away made him bolder. If he really wasn't interested in talking, he would have left long ago.

"I don't know if I'll be returning." Was the curt reply he finally received.

Naruto could feel his shoulders slump "Oh. I really enjoyed fighting you though." He was a bit confused as to why he was this disappointed, but he hadn't fought his equal in a long time, so it would be kind of boring not to meet this guy again.

"You were an interesting challenge." Was the calm response he received after a moment. After giving him one last look, the dark stranger turned away again. "I'll be leaving now."

The dark man walked over to a sleek black, large and beautiful enginecycle, parked at the curb. It had a rather bulky retro design, reminiscent of former times, but with all the aerodynamic of a modern vehicle. It must have cost an absolute fortune, and it was so gorgeous. Naruto couldn't help himself, these kind of bikes was a rare sight even in the good parts of town and here was one he might be allowed to touch! Before he knew it, he had raced past the other man and practically found himself drooling on the steely piece of art

"This is _so_ not yours." He breathed.

"It is. My first one. A vintage design Hebi." The other gamer answered in a neutral voice, with a slightly alarmed undertone.

Naruto could feel the tears pressing at his eyes. He let his hands hover just above the fantastical, shiny black metal. "Your first? There's more? Fucking amazing." He worked hard to make it not come out as a moan.

"Careful. It has an electric field protective system." He pushed Naruto's hands away deftly, before activating the lock with his wristband. Before any of them could say anything more, they were interrupted by a stranger pushing between them forcefully.

"Just what we were waiting for, right guys? Thank you for locking her up for us." Naruto gave the intruder a confused glare. He stank, had a lot of facial hair, and lurched slightly, as if he was under the influence of something. He leaned forward to get a glimpse of his companion's face to see if this was someone he knew.

"Get away from my vehicle." That cold voice had not changed, but the warning in it was clear.

"Yeah, I think you'll find it's mine now. Move it, hot stuff." He waved his hands in their faces with a shooing motion, as several other men walked towards them with threatening attitudes. Naruto looked around quickly, noting how deserted the street was quickly becoming. There was a reason you didn't see good vehicles in these parts of the city. This guy had to be very arrogant or very stupid for leaving it on the curb like this.

"You do not want to do this." The dark haired man replied, completely ignoring his would-be robber.

"I really think I do." The scruffy man was larger than them, and surrounded by friends. The only advantage they had right now was the fact that the leader, if you could call him that, was very obviously confused by his prey's behaviour.

"If you do this, there will be people coming after you. The bike will be taken and returned to me, and then you will be disposed of. If there is any damage to the bike, you will suffer each scratch and bump yourself, and then you will be disposed of. If you so much as touch me, you will be hunted down and disposed of. As will your family, your friends, and your... Colleagues." He gestured to the people around him lightly, as if he was just making polite conversation.

As the robber's eyes widened in confusion and disbelief, Naruto almost wanted to applaud him for the convincing speech. He really hoped he wasn't bluffing though, because this could turn ugly very quickly.

"You talk big at least, I'll give you that, runt. I'm guessing you're some big shot, or at least the son of some big shot. Which means, you just talked yourself into becoming a very valuable hostage." And with those words, he pulled out a knife.

Naruto stopped thinking, and sprang into action instead. With a high kick, he knocked the weapon out of the attacker's hand. Before he could do anything else, Sasuke had swiped his wristband against the bike again, and knocked the foul smelling man into it. The electric current that went through him made his whole body shake, and Naruto turned away quickly to face their other opponents.

Fighting felt almost disturbingly natural, as if he was just playing another game. Everything hurt like hell, of course, and none of his hits had any of the impact he expected. Instead of the dramatic sound effects he was used to, there was the smacking of skin, and the sickeningly crunching of bones. But the adrenaline fueled him on, and he was pretty much too focused on surviving to notice any of it. They took down some of their opponents, and suddenly, the owner of the arcade they had just been in burst out the door, demanding to know what was going on. The ones who could still walk scattered quickly then.

"Are you all right boys?" He asked in genuine concern. "You're bleeding."

"Fine, thank you for interrupting." Naruto assured, out of breath but still riding high on the adrenaline wave.

"You sure? Should I call for medical assistance?"

"You should get back to your establishment before the commotion attracts any more attention. You do not want to get dragged in." The cool voice of Naruto's new friend replied. He was leaning on his knees, breathing deeply as well, with blood spattered across his knuckles. The arcade owner seemed to realise the trouble he could find himself in instantly, and with a wave he rushed back to his shop.

Naruto stared hard at the man whom he had just fought for his life with. Black orbs returned his gaze steadily.

"Why did you attack them?"

The question surprised him. You would think this guy would be grateful, at least! "Because they would most likely have killed us if we didn't do something."

"They would have killed me. Why didn't you run? Everyone else had the sense to do so." He said as calmly as if they were discussing the weather.

"What do you expect me to answer to that? I was right there. Of course I couldn't just stand by and watch you get robbed or killed." Naruto answered, very annoyed.

There was a small pause as the dark haired man seemed to contemplate what he had said. "Did you enjoy it? The violence."

Naruto was surprised by the sudden change of subject and the inappropriate question, but found the answer came without thought. "More than anything." It was disgusting, but Naruto knew that it was completely true.

A moment passed, then the dark haired man replied - "me too."

Something passed between them, like an electric current, or a rapidly burning flame.

"Well, I guess this is it, then. There's only a matter of time before someone walks by and misunderstands. Someone will contact the authorities." Naruto spoke the words hesitantly, as if it wasn't really the words he wanted to say. The other man had made it clear he wanted no further contact though.

"You could come with me." Naruto looked up in confusion to meet the stranger's dark eyes.

"Why?"

Naruto knew the dangers of going away with a stranger. Hell, he had been in that kind of danger more than his fair share of times. Growing up in the lower city with an unusual appearance did that. But there was a touch of magic over this whole experience. It felt like an adventure, and Naruto lived for the thrills.

The stranger lifted his hand in a silent challenge, never breaking eye contact.

"I don't even know your name..."

"Its Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke." The last name rang a bell somewhere in his mind, but the association was not unpleasant, and he thought little of it.

Without thinking, Naruto grasped the outstretched hand with his own. "I'm Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto, and you better not forget it."

* * *

><p>AN - I have a lemon for you. But it didn't fit with the story, so I'm saving it. If this becomes a multichappy, I will fix my awesome, awkward lemon to match the story. If not, I'll probably be nice and post it anyway, so don't go hating because I'm a tease!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

_**Modern Hearts**_

_**Chapter two - Interests and instincts**_

_**Author's notes** - I am so uncertain about this! I feel like there's so many directions I could go in, and so many things I would like to happen in this story. Writing out one possible way just eliminates so many, it's driving me crazy! I know myself well enough to see that thinking about it won't solve anything though. I'll just have to write it out the way it feels natural to me, consequences be damned. If it does turn out to be less than it could have been, I'll at least try to give you something enjoyable for the ride. Fanfiction is about the love, after all, and if I just try to portray that sincerely, it should be alright._

_I want to give a special thanks to the reviewer who told me they liked the way I write. I am incredibly grateful for every review of course, nothing is more thrilling than finding a new one in your inbox, and they are often the reason why I write. This reviewer touched a nerve though. English is not my native language, and therefore I often worry that the things I write are awkward or bad. Knowing at least one person genuinely thinks my style is good is an incredible boost! Thank you, and everyone else who fuels the writing spirit with their reviews._

* * *

><p><strong>Naruto could not sleep. He twisted and turned, never finding a good position, his mind grappling with the day's events, thinking what he could have done differently. Why was everything so complicated? Why did that bastard sneak into his every thought when he was so obviously a narcissistic jerk?<strong>

* * *

><p>After their drawn out handshake, Sasuke had climbed onto his vehicle. "You do know how to ride on the back of one of these?" He said, gesturing towards the space behind him. Truth be told, Naruto had never touched any kind of motorized cycle before, but he wasn't about to admit that to the strange and apparently rich andor criminal man currently offering him a ride.

"Sure." He climbed on behind Sasuke awkwardly, grabbing the other man lightly around the waist. Sasuke rolled off the curb and into the street, before shooting into motion. Naruto immediately ducked forward, pushing his face into Sasuke's back and digging his hands inside his coat, clawing onto the fabric underneath for dear life. He could feel Sasuke's back tensing, and could just imagine the smirk covering his pale face, but that didn't make him loosen his grip. The speed was just scary, and he could feel every vehicle passing by, the air being torn out of his lungs by the wind. After a few moments, he peeked above Sasuke's shoulder, bending his face around his neck. He drew in a gasp, forgetting his fears in an instance. It felt like flying. Amazing, and everything he had imagined it to be. Thrilling. He found himself laughing loudly into the wind, drawing weird glances from Sasuke, but not really caring.

They only drove for a few blocks, to get away from the crime scene. As they passed by a Mcdonald's Naruto tapped Sasuke lightly on the back, signaling for him to pull over. Sasuke steadied the vehicle with one long leg on the ground and killed the engine, before looking back at Naruto with a raised eybrow.

"What?"

"Hungry. Cheap food over there!" He motioned, mimicking the short answers of his companion with a smile.

Sasuke glanced over at the glowing sign. "That's trash. I'm not going in there."

Naruto sighed in exasperation, before climbing of the bike and walking towards the dining place with decisive steps. He should have known Sasuke would cringe at the low end dining. It wasn't as if he had suggested some hole in the wall though. Stuck up people pissed him off. After a few moments, he could hear Sasuke follow him.

They sat down in one of the many booths offering a certain privacy, and Naruto quickly took control of the ordering pad, deftly pressing down on the things he wanted. This was one of the reasons he liked this place. Lots of food that really filled you up for the price of nothing. The portions the Academy dished out was never enough for him, even if they were supposedly measured out exactly according to his needs.

"What do you want, Sasuke?"

"I don't know. Nothing." Looking up, he could see that Sasuke was frowning deeply. His mouth was nothing more than a scrunched up line across his face.

"It's not going to kill you! How someone even goes through life not eating any junkfood is beyond me." He added some of the things he thought Sasuke might like, before finishing up. Moments later, the drawer on the wall next to them blinked red and played some artificial jingle. Naruto pulled out the drawer, humming lightly to himself as the smell of fat and salty food wafted out, and placed it on the table between them. Another good thing about this place - you didn't have to interact with any actual personell. Bloody knuckles and messy faces was hard to hide in bright restaurant lights.

"Food should not take such a short period of time to be prepared. It's dodgy, and indicates that this is most likely not food at all." Sasuke stated, while the pile of food between them grew and grew. "And that is just an enormous amount of food! How many people did you order for?" He added with exasperation, as if he couldn't hold it in any more.

Naruto was busy unwrapping burgers and putting a straw in his milkshake to answer. After finishing his first burger in two bites, he pushed one across at Sasuke, who stubbornly refused to touch it. "I eat a lot, deal with it. And yes, it is most likely made from prefabricated ingredients and powders, before being processed through several machines, but this is a big chain, and they're not allowed to put anything actually dangerous in them. Even most of the fat is fake! It's no different from the powdered meals you make at home. Just eat that teeny tiny burger, and I'll take care of the rest." It wasn't Naruto's fault he had a big appetite.

"I don't eat artificial ingredients. Our che-" Naruto, annoyed out of his mind by the spoiled bastard's snobby speech, quickly shoved a burger into Sasuke's open mouth. Sasuke was forced to take a bite, chew and swallow.

"There, now you have eaten powdered food. Won't hurt any more if you finish that one off now."

Sasuke looked down at his burger with deep mistrust, too offended to even deign Naruto with a look. But it had tasted kind of good. Salty and fullfilling... The cheese they used was new to him. With an unhappy grunt, he finally caved in, and continued eating the sloppy thing.

"There you go!" Naruto exclaimed with a happy grin. "Now that we're full, we should clean ourselves up a bit. We both look like a mess, and we don't want to draw attention to ourselves. At least, I don't want to go home looking like this." The receptionist would have a fit if they caught him looking this dirty and torn up.

"True." Sasuke acknowledged, glad Naruto had put some thought into this. It would certainly makes things easier. He didn't really want to show himself anywhere that mattered looking like a street thug, and especially not with Naruto looking equally worse for wear in tow. It was uncharacteristic for him to act without a plan, but so far the evening had been so very unpredictable. After the blond man had helped save his life, it had just felt natural to offer him a ride, allowing their meeting to go on for just a little longer in the process.

"What we need is a medicine kit, to fix our injuries and wash off this blood." Naruto explained.

"I'll rent a hotel room. It will give us somewhere to wash up, and you can borrow their medical stuff." Sasuke reasoned.

Naruto held his breath for just a second, attempting to pry some sort of insight from Sasuke's expression. It was no use. "Wait just a second. Do you know how much money things like that cost? Not to mention that it'll totally register on my wristband and then I'll have so much explaining to do and... I have a better idea. Let's just buy some things from the nearest supermarket and take care of it right there?" Sasuke looked slightly put out, but nodded reluctantly. Somehow, Naruto just knew that getting into a hotel room with this man would be dangerous. Ridiculous really, they had just met after all, so what could possibly happen? Of course, he knew what _could_ happen, but there was no proof Sasuke had the same idea. The man was very cool. Detached almost to the point of being asexual, but still so very sensual. They had something, that was certain, but so far it had been very platonic. Naruto didn't trust himself around Sasuke though. Everything about their encounter so far had been dangerous and exciting and completely unpredictable. He had no idea what could happen, and that scared him. Things could spin out of his control if he wasn't careful.

* * *

><p>Naruto went in and bought the medical stuff and some cleaning wipes while Sasuke waited outside the entrance, keeping a watchful eye on his bike. He perched his supplies carefully on the seat, before pulling out a small cylindrical aerosol container. He quickly sprayed his own knuckles and various other scraps and bruises with the disinfectant healer, before wiping away any excess blood, and finishing up by slopping on some of binding gel that made wounds close faster. Very relieved that he would have no wounds to show for his fight tomorrow at the academy, he then returned his attention to Sasuke, who was leaning against the wall, studying his nails disinterestedly.<p>

"Aren't you going to use any?"

"I'm fine."

Naruto sighed, sensing another ridiculous argument in the making. "You have gaping wounds on your hands and face, and that's only the ones I can see. Don't be a baby, it's stupid to not take care of yourself."

"I am fine. I can go see the house healer later. Just hand me some tissues."

Naruto, slightly put out that there was such a thing as 'house healers', and that this man took them for granted, wouldn't let the matter go. "It's just idiotic not to throw on some healing stuff when it's so freaking easy and could save you from a potential infection. People like you make me so mad."

Sasuke sighed deeply, before walking over in defeat. "Fine, you utter imbecile. Which do I put on what?"

Naruto wrinkled his brow. "You just disinfect and then bind it. Pretty basic when you only have the stuff I could find here."

Sasuke sighed again, as if this was truly the burden of his life. "Which bottle do I use for that? Am I supposed to spray it on the napkin?"

Naruto's jaw very nearly dropped to the ground in surprise. "... You honestly mean to tell me you've never used basic medical stuff before? How old are you again?"

"What is that supposed to mean? I've never needed it before." Sasuke replied, looking slightly annoyed.

"You've never been hurt?" Naruto asked, deeply skeptical.

"No. As a child yes, but then I'd just see the house healer."

"Wow. We are truly different people, aren't we?" Naruto marveled. Interacting with Sasuke was like getting a glimpse into the life of some other species. It was unlike any experience in his life. Friendships had always come easy to Naruto. He knew what it felt like to be alone, and therefore attached himself to mostly anyone that showed any kindness. It only grew easier over the years. Whether it was his new lifestyle, or the fact that he had just become a bit less of a snotty brat was hard to tell, but people seemed more drawn to him now. He rarely got to connect with anyone on a deeper level though. Too much contact was frowned upon in the career he was chosen for. Intimacy was forbidden. Now this strange, mean and alien person was getting under his skin, in a way no one had managed so far. He didn't even know if it was a good feeling, he just knew it was different, and unnerving.

Watching Sasuke rifling through the different medications and squinting at the bottles was rather painful. He finally caved in, unable to keep out of it any longer. "Fine, fine, I'll do it for you, you big child."

Sasuke protested slightly, but was resolutely pushed down on the seat of the bike with the medications in his lap by a firm Naruto. He pulled out a few of the cleansing wipes, and proceeded to throughly wash Sasuke's hands and face, rubbing insistently on the dirty spots and wiping lightly around the wounds. With relief, Naruto noted that the damages wasn't half as bad as he had expected. The soft and milky skin looked so much more vulnerable than Naruto's own, but the whiteness probably added unnecessary contrast to the scrapes, making them out to be worse than they were. Sasuke sat patiently through the procedure, only a slight tick in the left eye indicating his annoyance.

"Your skin really is unblemished. Guess you were right when you said you don't get hurt much though I don't understand how you do that. I can't seem to keep from hurting myself all the time. I'll have to show you some of my wicked scars sometime." He smiled down at Sasuke.

The thought of examining Naruto's body was strangely appealing to Sasuke. He was glad the darkness hid the blush creeping up his neck.

Naruto finished cleaning up, and started spraying the small bottle of disinfectant all over Sasuke. He realised his mistake when Sasuke hissed, and ducked down to cover his eyes. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to get you in the eye. Does it sting?"

"It burns a bit. You could have given me a heads up, slow-wit." Sasuke muttered from between his hands.

"I should have thought of it," Naruto admitted, willing to forego the insult this one time. "Not used to doing stuff like this on other people, you know."

Sasuke didn't answer, but looked up at Naruto again after a little while. His eyes looked slightly moist, but not really irritated. Naruto very carefully thumbed away the liquid threatening to spill over from the corner of his eyes, before applying a generous amount of the closing gel to his wounds.

"'Your face looks a bit scruffy." Sasuke noted after a moment.

"I didn't get it all? Damn. It's kind of hard without a mirror." The blond frowned down at his patient.

"Here, I'll help." Sasuke got to his feet and reached for the napkins. Standing up like this, their eyes were pretty much level. In a no nonsense fashion, Sasuke scrubbed at Naruto's face, making the sore skin sting slightly. Naruto couldn't tell if it was payback or just pure inexperience with cleaning others. It was nice to feel Sasuke's dry and slightly cool hands on his skin though.

"Should I put on some more of the gel? I think I might have scrubbed some off." He muttered when he was satisfied with his work. Naruto merely nodded, and Sasuke proceeded to pour what had to amount to half the bottle into his hand, before rubbing it into Naruto's face. His hand stopped for a moment on Naruto's chin as his thumb grazed lightly across one of the thinly lined scars there.

"Why didn't you get these fixed?" He asked in a low tone.

"I'm pretty sure I was born with them. No one really thought of it when I was a child. Besides, not everyone can afford cosmetic surgery. I don't think they're too noticeable anyway. Do you think they're ugly?" The last sentence was added as an afterthought. He didn't know why he asked. He cared little for appearances anyway, and certainly didn't go asking for other people's approval.

"No. They fit, somehow. It's strange, but you're so different anyway, it only seems natural on you. Neat..." Sasuke's face had gotten very close as he spoke, so that they were almost leaning into each other. Naruto felt ridiculously touched at the dark haired man's words. It wasn't even really a compliment, but somehow he understood that Sasuke was being very honest, and that fact in itself seemed to be a rare thing with this man. Sasuke's hand slowly slid from Naruto's chin, down his arm, before resting lightly on his side, sending a shiver through him.

Goosebumps rose all over Naruto's body, and he closed his eyes as his body tipped towards the other man. "Sasuke..."

Sasuke's eyes were a sultry black, inviting him in, as his hand dragged Naruto down to his level. A warning bell went off in Naruto's head. This was dangerous. This was what his mind had been warning him against all night. He planted his hands on Sasuke's shoulders and quite forcefully broke free, as much as he didn't want to. The chill rushed in to fill the space between them.

"I can't. They'll know." He muttered, trying to make Sasuke understand. All he got in return was a dark stare and a growl.

"I have an intimacy scanner in my wristband. They'll register it. It's illegal for both of us. They might even arrest you." He explained, waving his arm in front of Sasuke to indicate the metal bracelet hanging there.

"Why?" Sasuke was closing of quickly now. All the emotion that was left was the darkness in his voice.

"Because I am part of the conservation and procreation program. Unauthorized intimacy is against the law."

Sasuke grabbed the front of Naruto's shirt to pull them together. "Silly boy. I am an Uchiha. The rules do not apply to me." He growled, demanding to be obeyed.

Naruto managed to pull away while he still had the ability to think, and put a good meter between them, just in case. "I don't know who you think you are, but the law applies to everyone. And it certainly does to me. I cannot risk my whole life for this - that would be idiotic." The words made complete sense, so Naruto wondered why he had such trouble speaking them.

"What do you really think is going on here?" Sasuke answered in that same dangerously low voice.

"This, whatever it is, was a mistake. Can't we can forget the last few minutes?" Naruto tried to reason. He didn't want to ruin everything over this. Not when Sasuke had already made his whole life that much more interesting. He had to see the sense in what Naruto was saying. They were talking about government issued rules here!

"We can do our best to forget this whole evening." Sasuke replied coolly, those dangerous eyes never leaving him as he got onto his bike.

"I am not rejecting you! This is just how my life works." Naruto motioned agitatedly.

"Trust me, if I actually attempted anything, rejection would not be an issue. Don't flatter yourself. Goodbye, Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto felt lost when he watched him drive away. Stupid, so stupid. Stubborn bastard. But this was the only sensible - heck, the only sane thing to do. He didn't have any other options. For once in his life, he had to be smart.

* * *

><p>Sleep came slowly, and by the time morning arrived, Naruto was tired and uneasy. He was just going through his morning gymnastics when he noticed his wristband signaling that he was wanted in the warden's office. He sighed. Somehow, he had done something wrong.<p>

The pretty woman greeted him with a smile, as usual, and gestured for him to sit down. "Hello, Naruto."

"Hi there auntie." He replied uneasily.

"Do you know why you are here?" She replied, folding her hands in front of her while continuing to smile prettily.

"Uh, too much junkfood?" He replied jokingly, unwilling to give away anything she might not already know.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She inquired with a slight frown, turning to her computer for a moment. Her expression turned to exasperation as she scrolled through her information, before she turned back to him. "I don't think I have to tell you that I am disappointed."

"Yeaah... I figured you would be. But I got hungry, you know, and food is expensive. I was working out this morning to make up for it." He replied, slapping his taut and flat stomach for added effect.

"That is not the point, Naruto. Those kind of foods clog you up from the inside. It's practically poison. Don't make me dig up some grainy images from the obesity epidemics. You might be in very good physical shape, but you are directly responsible for the health of future generations, and so you have to be perfect. I want you to tell yourself that the next time you find yourself with a cheeseburger in your hand. And then you can go and have a lovely vegan burger from the cafeteria. If you don't watch out, they will restrict your area access until we're back on track." She finished with a wink.

"Of course. I'll keep it under control." Naruto replied evenly. The healthy food was made to taste exactly the same as the less desirable item it was supposed to mimick. It didn't stop his cravings though. Somehow, his body was just desperate for proper fat.

"Anyway, that is not why you were called here. We got a report of a criminal incident yesterday, and it turns out it matches up pretty accurately with your coordinates for that time. Do you know what I am referring to?" She gave him an intent stare.

"I'm not quite sure. Do you have any more details?" He replied, trying to look as inconspicious as possible.

Of course, the warden saw through it immediately. She sighed. "Naruto, you don't have to be afraid of telling me the truth. Your urinal report of last night indicates that you experienced high levels of adrenaline during the day. This is standard procedure, just to make sure that you did not suffer any trauma or need our aid in any way. My report says that you were close to the scene during the incident, and then moved away on an anonymously registered vehicle afterwards. Apparently, the case was about some attempted theft, and an ensuing scuffle." She said while skimming through the document on her computer. "Huh, that's strange. Details are classified." She mumbled under her breath as her face twisted in a small frown. "Well, anyway, could you explain this to me?"

"Uh, okay... I was just visiting some of the places I used to stay before I came here. I entered an arcade, that could account for the adrenaline, and when I left, I noticed some kind of fighting nearby. I helped out this guy who had been hurt, and in return, he offered to drive me part of the way home. We didn't want to hang around, just in case things escalated. That's all."

"I guess that's an adequate explanation." She replied with a shrug, clearly not completely satisfied. "I really wish you would report these things like you are supposed to. I know that your background is an issue, but you can trust us. If you have been involved in a violent incident, it really would be best to go through the motions of a post-traumatic stress-relief treatment. Things like that can be hard on anyone. The fact that we still have these sort of incident is testament to how necessary our government's strong forces are. Without them patrolling the streets, things would have been just like they used to be hundreds of years ago. Violence in the streets. Can you imagine it?"

He could imagine it. All too well actually. The thought sent a surge of excitement through him. "Yes. Horrible." What was wrong with him? Why did he have these urges towards violence? Naruto had always been a very physical person, in friendships, relationships, happiness and anger. He had been in some scuffles as a child. That sort of thing wasn't as looked down upon in the slums. Fighting, violence and death wasn't common, but it happened. It was different in this part of the city. It had taken him years to get used to the way no one really touched each other here in the upper city. People rarely interacted physically outside the completely private sphere. It was looked down upon. He'd never really lashed out before yesterday though. That invigorating feeling of going all out was unlike anything he had felt.

"I'll let you go now, just remember the things we have discussed, and if you need anyone to talk to, I am here. Remember, you are contributing to the future of the human race."

"Yes, auntie."

He was struggling, but it wasn't with the things the wardens would want to hear. How did you tell someone who abhorred violence that fighting for your life had been the most exciting thing you had ever felt? He wanted to talk to someone who would understand. Someone who wouldn't report every word he said, analyse it to pieces and then store it for future use. All the friends he had ever trusted had moved away. He wanted Sasuke.

He turned in the doorway, giving the sterile office one last look. "Hey, old lady."

"Yes Naruto?" She smiled warmly at him.

"Why aren't we allowed intimacy?"

Her smile disappeared quickly. "You know this, Naruto."

"I don't really get it. I mean, diseases are treatable and can easily be avoided. If someone should get pregnant, that's just a good thing, isn't it? We're here to restore the population, aren't we? What's the harm in relationships?"

"Because you are a part of something bigger than yourself. All the reasons you mentioned are important, but when you get down to it, it's all about protecting you, for yourself and the genes you are carrying." She sat up straighter, with a motherly smile across her face. "Humans can be short sighted. We are despairingly controlled by simple hormones, and we usually choose the easier and most tempting solution, even though it defies sense. You are very young, and even more prone to this kind of behaviour. Your bodies are telling you that you need to continue the species, right here, right now. Logic plays no part in it. We are eliminating the need for that instinct, by fullfilling it in a more sustainable way, but physically removing the urges are harder." She drew a sharp breath. "With your body fighting logic every step of the way, getting involved with unfit partners could make you lose sight of what's important. Just telling you the simple facts - that random encounters and simple attraction rarely lasts or provides long term happiness, doesn't work. Instead we provide a comfortable frame to work within. And when your duty is complete, you are matched up with your ideal partner - a much more fool proof system. Better for you to have a healthy and fullfilling youth doing what you were made for, and then being fitted with your perfect match later on in life, when you are really more prepared for that kind of thing. We are trying to provide you with all the happiness, and none of the unnecessary pain."

Naruto merely nodded and left. She was right, she was very right. The things she said made completely sense, and told just how much the government cared about them. So why did it sound so wrong?

* * *

><p><em>Author's notes - Instead of pouring over this manically, I am just going to post it and be done with it. I am sure you value swiftness over perfect grammar anyway (impatient as we are). Describing Naruto and Sasuke's interaction was a bit difficult. I really want to push ahead with them, but I have to restrain myself, or things will be rushed. I really don't want this story to go in the wrong direction just because of my perverted overenthusiasm.<em>


End file.
